The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-22


the dominating one with the public,
II should have all he light possible
thrown upon ii. With this view we
make room for the following letters,
written by an engineer who knows
tbs topography OF Memphis and the
surrounding country well, and not
being in any way, near or remote,
mixed up in her affairs, critiCises with
the freedom of an expert the report
OF the Committee OF Ten and the
proposition Of Bullock d Co.
l.
NOVEMBER, 20, 1885, am glad TO
learn iha. the water supply question
ir h-c1ming definite one, and the
Miselssi sipri idea is abandoned.
While ! believe it the proper source
taI supplying Memphis, il you will
recall what | have written before You
will remember that | suggested upper
Wolf river and fl tration-just what
has been Fl ally decided upon. | don't
know about the Hya filtration on 50
large a scale. / ehould hesitate until
] hid examined il in every feature be-
fore recommending ii. Ii can only act
mechanically, not chemically, in re-
moving suspended matter, and this
involves work and expense. Now,
will the Hyatt apparatus do this work
more effyciually or even Rs well as
other well known and long tried de.
vices, and at less annual expense2
II not, ii can have only first cost 10
recommend 10; and will this2 | do not
know bat the Hyatt has everything in
It's favor, for your com mittee may have
access TO data OF which | am igno-
raut. ! know that 1t has proved
an excellent thing in minor
way, but believe 1t must yet
win it's laurels at the source Of great
City's supply. Icannot agree
with you about the ownership Of the
water works. II 1t becomes necessi-
ty to Issue bonds, whether the city or
the company bui ID the works, as l I'M
derstand you, it certainly is desirable
that the city have entire control OF
the matter. A system properly de-
sigued and constructed would pay a
large interest on the investment. Two
thirds of the water now pumped at
Memphis lie caste, and nearly or quite
oil OF this may be stopped. There is
vastly more loss through bad construc-
ton than many imagine.
II.
DECEMBER 3, 1SS8.-There is no
doubt in my mind that a good and
effcient system OF works can be built
Tor much LEES than the Bullock Com
pany will make the present system
cost the city before it is done. Bal
lock q o.. have not entered this thing
for "iun, !" they are after profit. The
worth or efficiency OF system are
secondary things with them. Let them
expend what they will in making the
system what they call efficient and il
10 a mere "patch work" after all.
No distribution system into which
lour inch and smaller pipes enters,
as largely as II does in Memphis, can
ever be made an efficient one. II
would be absurd to compare such 9
system with one designed to produce
the best results at minimum coat
These private companies aim to pro
cura large profits, not large eavings
know many imagine the two things
mean one, but TO any one who knows
what water works should cost; anC
what, through bad inspection and baC
material at full prices they are made Il
cost, savings and profit are not syn
onymous. The Hyatt filter may b
all right. | only think it not able to Dc
continuous, effective work | may do
this. II it can your problem Il
Eolvsd. What is the fitering material
animal charcoal, spongy iron or what
] really do not know. Do | believ,
the Taxing District could build al
effective water works as oheaply a
the Oitzens' Water Company can
hide d do, and much more cheapl,
than the books of that companJ woul'
show since the discounts" "com
missions" and other little perQuisites
known TO the few only, would becom
a part OF the Savings" TO the city
Aud further believe, and 1t is n
has lily reached belief, that the sRgrG
gate cost will not approach a milho
dollars by considerably more tina
100000 OF course | have not tn
data Tor more than an approximat
estimate. II you will look CAREFUL
over the elaborate schvme of Mr.. Hel
mony, and estimate on present priC
his estimate was made in the "iI
nltei times'-you will fad that tn
scheme could be built cheaper than th
Bullock company propose TO max
your patch work" system cost. sir
cerely hops the Taxing District GOV
ernmeut will enter into no contraC
with this new company until detaile
plans have been thoroughly exam
med aud approved by competent 81
gneers, and until they are assure
that the works as detailed will be COT
BtruCted. l would insist, also, in ha'
ing conclusive voice in the inspec
ing and accsptapcs OF both constru
ton and material, II the compau
propose honest work, they could NJ
object TO the Taxing ID strict beir
rep esented bys compatent and al
thorita i've inspector.
III.
DECEMBER 10, lSS6,-Since receivir
the APPEAL of sunday last, | am
q pOlton 10 make intelligent cor
ment on the "Repori," and 81 on Il
"PrJp) ition"-meaning by these u
papers Of the Ctz sns' Committee al
the Bullock Company, respectively. d
Smarts analysis and the reports
Mess. Wilson and Oroes supply Il
missing links. Gen. GTeene's ia
admirable one for popular purpose
but 1t leaves the engineer with :,
many queries on his lips. 1t plens
me TO learn that they (the committe
decided on the source which | ha
all along believed ives the one fro
when Memphis 81 ould obtain
water-thst is, from Wolf river, abo
the iu6lence of back water from /
Mississippi. Nothing is stated in I
report by which one may know h,
for the source (propnse6) ia from, 81
Cont Square Gen. Greene says il
ahont iorly.m lee above the MOI
of Wolf (recklned by sinuositi,
which, judsing by the ratio of si
osiiy IN aluvlBl streams, would
abont twelve miles from Court SOUS
making about nine miles of cend
to he reservoir, 1t tlis be tru